Columbus Grove Local Schools

1. Emphasize the athletic trainer Make sure that the EAP includes that the athletic trainer should accompany the athlete or patient to the hospital, when applicable. The athletic trainer is the athlete’s advocate, represents the school, and can provide real-time history information that is critical in assisting in the athlete’s care in the emergency room.
2. Make it venue specific Each athletic venue should have its own EAP posted in plain sight. It’s helpful to have it laminated and Velcroed to the wall so that it may be pulled off and used at the immediate site of the emergency. The EAP for each venue should be sent to local EMS so they can better familiarize themselves with it. Other elements to include in a venue-specific EAP are:
    • Steps to follow in making a call for assistance. The caller should introduce themselves, inform the emergency dispatcher of the nature of the emergency, and stay on the line until help arrives.
    • The exact address of the venue. This will allow EMS to enter the address into their GPS for quicker response time in the event of an emergency.
    • Description of a designated area where individuals will be sent to flag down an ambulance to bring to the emergency scene.
3. Practice the EAP It should be standard procedure to practice the venue-specific EAP prior to the school year. It is recommended to meet with EMS to review the EAP and answer any logistical or procedural questions they may have. This meeting should also review the updated NATA Appropriate PreHospital Management of the Spine-Injured Athlete plan. In addition, prior to each contest where an ambulance is present, it is recommended that the home and/or visiting team athletic trainers meet with the ambulance crew to review the emergency procedures for the game. Approach each practice, conditioning session, and game as if an emergency will occur ... Stay focused and vigilant. Stay off your cell phone unless using it for an emergency—this includes texting.
4. Monitor certifications and equipment Athletic trainers should be trained and practiced in airway management, bleeding control, spinal injury care, EpiPen use, inhaler use, and facemask removal. Document this training annually. CPR/AED certification should be updated and documented for all sports medicine staff, strength and conditioning coaches, and, ideally, all sport coaches. Sports medicine departments should consider developing a daily check-off sheet for all emergency equipment. Designate an athletic trainer to check all AED batteries daily, and keep a log of all EpiPen and inhaler expiration dates in order to ensure that the equipment is ready to go each day. Additionally, contact information for all athletes, coaches, and staff should be kept in the athletic training field equipment. This ensures the athletic trainer can quickly access it during an emergency to expedite care and communication.
5. Have the right attitude Though practices, conditioning sessions, and games only make up 20 percent of an athletic trainer’s day, emergencies in athletics occur during physical activity 95 percent of the time. Some key items in being practically and mentally prepared for an emergency during physical activity include:
   • Approach each practice, conditioning session, and game as if an emergency will occur. Check all equipment prior to the activity and locate the venue-specific EAP.
   • Carry the school EAP on a card for every activity. In the event of an emergency, using the venuespecific EAP is recommended, but having access to the phone numbers of team physicians, hospitals, and athletic administrators on the school EAP is also helpful.
   • Stay focused and vigilant. Stay off your cell phone unless using it for an emergency—this includes texting. The activity that the athletic trainer is providing care for, including a potential emergency, is the most important thing they are presently doing. Limit all distractions. Though rare in occurrence, a medical emergency may present itself at any time in athletics. Proper and practiced preparation, good communication, and vigilance in detecting the emergency in its earliest stages will ensure a positive outcome for all involved. 

Columbus Grove Athletics
Dual Sports Participation Procedures
Pursuant only to JUNIOR HIGH sports as of school year 2015-16

In order for a student-athlete at Columbus Grove to participate in two sports during the same season the following criteria must be met:

1. The athlete must obtain approval from the Athletic Director and BOTH coaches of the sports of interest.
2. The athlete must complete the two sport participation agreement form designating the primary sport.
3. The athlete must understand that the primary sport will take precedence over the secondary sport.
4. The athlete must understand that games/meets/matches take precedence over practices.
5. The athlete must make intentions known of interest in participating in two (2) sports at least two (2) weeks prior to the first state declared practice date.
6. The student-athlete must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the grading period prior to the season of participation, and must maintain a 2.0 GPA and earn passing grades in all classes throughout the season.  Approval may be denied due to academic concerns at any time during the season. The athlete will then participate in the primary sport involved only. 

By Bruce Brown, Proactive Coaching Successful coaches weave these 10 principles into all aspects of their team's activities—whether it be during the off-season or pre-season, or in practice and in games.

Consistent and clear standards and values. Pre-set team values are the foundation for every successful team. What is your team’s identity? Great teams establish their own culture.

The team members feel a collective responsibility to learn and follow the team values. People commit to the team values and live it in their actions. "This is the way we do things around here" is something the team members are proud to express. The feeling is that "we don’t want to do anything that would let down the coaches, the team and each other". Everyone is accountable.

Master Teachers, Master Motivators. This first way for a coach gain credibility is to respect and trust is how much they know and how well they can teach it. Successful coaches understand the game and their players and how to teach both.

Positive role models. Coaches must consistently diplay the team values in their actions, and it carries down to the seniors so that they serve as role models for the team values. In a successful program, the freshmen or sophomores can be told, "If you are not sure how hard to work or how to act in any situation, just watch our seniors and follow their lead." Your older players and most talented players must be your best workers.

All roles are valued. When there is relationship-based leadership, everyone who contributes to the team's overall  value. Credit is shared. When all roles are valued, players are more willing to accept roles and the team is more successful.

Positive rites of passage. Intentionally created positive traditions provide a path for athletes to feel welcomed, and to grow into leadership roles. Nothing that could be considered hazing is ever present.

Consistent performance feedback. Coaches know how to balance praise and correction. Athletes take correction as a compliment—they are coachable.

Trust. With a successful team, players trust each other and their coaches. They trust their training. Mutual trust among players and coaches allows direct, open, honest communication and fearless play.

Sense of Urgency. There is a high-energy level during both practice and games. Individual and team discipline is visible in the focused attention and focused effort of everyone. Details are important. Only disciplined teams have a chance to win championships.

Impact the player’s lives. Players in these programs treasure the experience so much that they carry the lessons and values over beyond the season and into their lives overall. They build successful "teams" of their own—whether it be in sports or other endeavors. 

In an effort to encourage participation by our student-athletes in more than one sport the Columbus Grove Athletic Department has implemented the following awards:

#1- The “Triple Threat” Award
Any student-athlete who is on the roster and completes the season in three sports(does not need to earn a varsity letter) will receive a t-shirt, polo, pullover, or other piece of apparel signifying them as a “triple threat” athlete.   This item will be issued in the spring at the conclusion of the third sport of the school year.

#2- The Chenille Plaque or “9+ Award”
Any student-athlete who earns 9 or more varsity letters in his/her career will receive a plaque with a chenille “CG” on it to signify this accomplishment.  The award would have a nameplate with athlete’s name and year attached and would be presented at the appropriate awards ceremony.  

#3- The Blanket
Any student-athlete who earns 14 or more points in their athletic/H.S. career will receive a Columbus Grove blanket at the Senior Academic Awards night.  Points are earned toward this award using this matrix:
Varsity letter  =  1 point
Cumulative GPA:
2.25 – 2.79  = 2 points
2.8 – 3.49  = 4 points
3.5  - 3.9 = 6 points
4.0   =   7 points